Why Married Jewish Women Cover Their Hair

While it may be a hot topic for some people, there are those within the Orthodox Judaism religion find that the covering of a woman's hair to be a serious issue. There are many people out there who tend to think that this act is something that should be banished and to never be seen again. They consider it a shame that women are to cover their hair. This is the case though because there is little understanding among other cultures as to why some Jewish women cover their hair.

While some tend to think that this is a sign that the woman is submissive to the man or that she is not of importance, it is actually the opposite. It is the belief of the Jews that the hair of a woman is sensual and such things should be reserved for her husband. This only applies to the married females, as you will find that the unmarried ones do not need to cover their hair. The amount of hair that is covered and by what means will vary depending on the woman and how strictly this tradition is followed within her Jewish community.

Some married women will use the hair covering as a sign, like the wedding ring, that she is married and her body belongs to that of her husband. The hair covering shows modesty and respect for her husband and for her God. The hair covering can be a sheitel, which is a wig. This is acceptable to use in many of the Jewish communities because the wig covers more of the woman's hair then anything else. Others find that the sheitel, or wig, does not work well for their tastes and situation. The wigs are hot and they can be on the expensive side, which makes them a choice that not many women find desirable.

Instead of the sheitel, many married Jewish women prefer to go with the bandana as their hair covering choice. When getting dressed in the morning, all the woman has to do is pull her hair into a bun and then tie on the bandana. Although a few strains of hair may sneak out here and there, the bandana is still considered an acceptable head covering. Whenever the married woman is outside of the home, the hair covering must be in place. Of course, she is free and even encouraged, to remove the hair covering for her husband to enjoy.

There are also some married women of the Jewish faith that enjoy wearing the snoods. The snood would remind someone of a hair net but much prettier and more feminine. Snoods can cover all of the hair on the head or only a partial amount of it. The choice is really up to the married woman and what her peers and husbands deems acceptable.

Many women of the Jewish faith are asked why they agree to such rules. There are many answers given but what seems to be the most apparent is that this is not only a rule of their faith but it is a tradition that they enjoy holding up. Those of the Jewish decent enjoy taking part in customs and traditions that their people have had for many years. By keeping up with traditions, they are able to show their faith in many ways and share their love and dedication to their beliefs with those around them.

A lot of women have even commented on how the bandana for the hair covering allows them to remain much cooler in the warmer weather. Some have even mentioned that it is a time saver when they are rushing to get out of the house in the morning. After all, if she did not feel as though she had time to brush her hair, who would know? There are many reasons why married women are fine with taking part in the tradition of the hair covering. Some are more serious about it then others. Some women wear their hair coverings from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to bed. Others will simply wear their coverings when outside of the home. And those in a more conservative setting may decide to only where their bandana or sheitel when inside the house of God.

So while some people will still tend to look at this tradition as a bad one, it is important to know that the majority of married Jewish women who take part in this custom are proud to do so. They feel it is something that they are choosing to do for their husband and for their God instead of being forced to do it. They are happy with their decision to take part in it and many find that they would not enjoy outings and functions as much if they were not able to use their hair covering as a way to show their faith and dedication to their husband.